Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1887-03-17
GOOD READING.

The Enormous Amount or Work Before the
Late Congress and How 1t WAS Disposed
of-The Veto Record.
WAsHINGToS, Feb. 5--TheCongress which
ended its existence at noon yesterday has
afforded striking illustrator of the con-
slant increase in the volume a. legislation
which has been going on for tie last three
or more Congresses. More bills were intro
duced, more committee reports made. more
measures passed, more became laws and
more were vetoed than ever before. Most
of these measures were Of comparative In
Importance, such as bills granting private
pensions and special relief, authorizing the
erection of bridges and granting riGhts-of-
way; but many, not only of the bills and re-
ports presented, but of the laws enacted,
were of general interest and importance.
A number of bills enacted into laws were
old and familiar claimants for legislative
favor. In this category belong the Presi-
Dental Succession bill, the Electoral Count
bill, the Interstate Commerce bill and the
bill for the relief of FitZ-John Porter.
The Forty ninth Congress commenced its
session December 4. 1885, and WAS in ses-
sion until August 5, when it adjourned I'M
til December g. and continued in session
until its close yesterday, covering total
period of ten months and twenty-six days.
OF this time the Senate was in session pa
and the House PSI days There were intro
duced IN the House during this time IL ,25S
bills and 203 Joint resolutions, on which over
five thousand reports We're made; being
several thousand more bills and over a
thousand more reports than were made in
the Forty-eighth Congress, which had, in
its turn, beaten the record. In the Senate
there were introduced 1857 bills and lis
joint resolutions. ON which 1888 written re-
ports were made being upward of five
hundred more bills and over four hundred
more reports than in the Forty-eighth Ceal-
gress.
The total number of laws enacted was
approximately ,43J- of which. l,O93 orig
mated in the House and 33S in the Senate
Two hundred and sixty-four OF these 'A-
canae laws by the expiration of the ten
days limitation; fifty failed to become lawE
by the adjournment of Congress- nine OF
them at the close of the first session; and.
there were 1872 bills vetoed by the Presi-
dent, or twenty-one more instances of the
exereise of the Presidential prepcgativet OF
veto shan had occurred from the founda-
ton of the Government down to- the be-
ginning of this Congress. OF the vetoed
bills ninety-four originated in the House
and thirty nine in the Senate. But one pri-
vate- hAll-that granting pension to jacob
Romiser-and one public bill-that provid-
ing fGT the erection of a Government bnilG
ing at Dayton, O.-succeeded III passing
both Houses over the Presidents veto, al
two-thlrds vote in the Senate only to fail
the House.
The death roll of this Congress. WAS also
an extraordinary one, comprising tine I'M
precedented number of thirteen names in
the House and Senate. They are those OF
Vice President Hendricks, president Of the
Senate; Senators Miller ofCallforp iA-Pllhe.
of New Hampshire, and Logan. of Illinois;
and Representatives Hahn Of Louisiana;
Arnot, Beach and Dowdneyr of New York,
Price of Wisconsin; Cole, OF Maryland Ell
wood. OF Illinois; Duncan, Of Penns ylVanIa,
and Rankin, of Wisconsin.
But one election case was decided by thu
House against the sitting member, and the
Congress was characterized by an absence
of that acrimonious discussion which such
contests usually awaken The Rhode Isl
and case of Page VS.. Pierce in which the
House decided that neither party WAS en-
titled to the seat and a new election WAS OK
dered, was the one instance of a seat being
taken from the sitting member
OF the 1,053 House bills which became
laws, 275 were of a more or less public ma
ture. OF the remaining rs bills (grantlng
pensions or relief to specially designated
persons) 156 became laws without the APP
proyal of the President.